Playing For Keeps
by Winchester Fan Forever
Summary: She swore that she would never let any mystical, magical thing come near him again. Little did she know, the Labyrinth, and its king, had other ideas.
1. The Unspoken Wish

**Playing For Keeps**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth or the Goblin King. Although, I do wish he would come and take me away right now! Darn, still here. Oh, well. It was worth a try.**

**Chapter 1: The Unspoken Wish**

_Every night the same thing since she's returned from the castle beyond the Goblin City_ mused the barn owl as it perched just out of sight of the young woman he watched through the window of the boy's room. Of course, it could be said that the routine was the same for him as he stood vigil over them both, his champion and his heir.

Closing the story book, Sarah sat beside her brother's bed watching the innocent child sleep peacefully no doubt dreaming of brave knights and damsels in distress. This silent vigil had become her daily routine since she had returned from an adventure she would never forget in a land so very far away. It had seemed like only yesterday she had been returned home with her brother after saying the words that had saved him from the clutches of the Goblin King when, in fact, it had been a little over 5 years.

So much had happened since then. She'd watched her brother grow into quite the precocious little 6-year-old, always getting himself into trouble. In some ways, he reminded her so much of the Goblin King. She knew it must only be coincidence that Toby resembled him so much. He had similar features in his face and the same type of fair-colored wild hair that seemed to never want to be tamed flying in all directions. Sarah always cut it short so it was easier to manage. He even had a way about giving her that same mischievous look she'd seen on _his_ face many times in the labyrinth. Sometimes it made her laugh to see that expression on a child's face and other times it troubled her though she didn't quite know why. It wasn't like the Goblin King could take him away from her ever again. She would never let that happen.

She simply couldn't imagine her life without him. He was the only constant for her. The one person she cared about more than anything and the reason she had decided to stay at home to attend the local college. She wanted to leave that house so badly but she couldn't leave him in the care of his neglectful parents. They were never home. They would no doubt leave him alone to fend for himself if she wasn't there. If she didn't feed him, she was afraid the poor child would starve. She did the shopping and the cooking and the cleaning and anything else that needed done around the house. She was more of a mother to that boy than his mother would ever be which compounded her guilt to the fact that she had almost lost him 5 years ago and she had no one to blame but herself. She swore that she would never let any mystical, magical thing come near him again. Little did she know, the Labyrinth, and its king, had other ideas.

Confident that her brother was sound asleep, Sarah returned to her own room to finish the paper she was writing for her History class. Such a tedious boring thing, it was. She wished she could just drift off to sleep so she could return, in dreams, to the place she longed to be but this homework wasn't going to do itself. It was due on Monday and she'd been procrastinating for weeks.

She'd been writing for what seemed like hours although it had been more like 20 minutes when she gave up and decided to take a break. She poured herself a glass of water from the kitchen and sat down on her bed to relax her eyes for a minute knowing full well she probably wasn't going to finish it tonight. As she sat there, her mind started drifting back to her time in the Labyrinth and all that the Goblin King had offered her. His words echoed through her mind. _ Love me, fear me, do as I say and I will be your slave._

If it weren't for Toby, she might've considered his offer but the cost was too high. Not that it mattered now. It's not like she could go back and change things either way. What's said is said and what's done is done. She had to move on with her life. It was time to put childish things away. Still, she couldn't help but wonder what her life could've been like if she hadn't refused him, if she had just stayed.

"I wish…."

She clapped a hand to her mouth quickly as she realized what she had almost said. She knew better than to voice her wishes aloud. What she didn't know, was that he was always listening and what's said is said. Those two words were enough.

The tapping noise at the window made Sarah jump. The owl that stared back at her through the glass had her on her feet and running to her brother's room as fast as she could go.

"Toby, we have to run," she said, snatching him up from his sound sleep. Toby stared at his sister wide-eyed at the fear in her eyes.

"What's going on," he asked, looking around the room for the danger as his window flew open and an owl flew in changing into a man right before his very eyes.

"Easy precious," came the voice she hadn't heard in 5 years, "I'm not here to steal your child from you."

There, in the very place where it all began, stood the Goblin King in all his resplendent glory. Sarah held Toby tight, standing frozen in the spot she stood.

"Who is he," asked the boy rather inquisitively as he stared in wide-eyed wonderment at the imposing figure in his window, "I feel like I know him from somewhere."

"Oh, Toby" choked out Sarah, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I am the Goblin King but you may call me Jareth, young Toby," he said in a rather amused tone, bowing regally at him.

"I wonder if I might have a moment alone with your sister. There is much we need to discuss," he inquired, speaking to him as though he were the man of the house.

Toby nodded in earnest feeling proud that an adult would address him in such a way. It didn't occur to him to be afraid of the man as his sister seemed to be. He seemed familiar, like an old friend he hadn't seen in a very long time.

Sarah held Toby close not wanting to let him go. Despite his words, she trusted Jareth about as far as she could throw him. She knew first-hand that he lied and cheated and manipulated to get what he wanted and she was not letting Toby go. She would defend him to her last breath if she had to.

"Sarah, I promise you," he said, as he looked into her tear-filled eyes, "I mean neither of you any harm. Please, just hear what I have to say."

Resigned to the fact that there really _was_ nowhere she could run from the Goblin King she nodded and laid Toby back in his bed, tucking him in and kissing him on the forehead as Jareth headed through the room into the hall.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, Toby. It'll be okay. We'll talk about it in the morning. Please, go back to sleep," she said as she ran her hand through his hair before walking to the door and closing it behind her.

As she left her brother's room, her heart pounding in her chest, body shaking like a leaf, she held her head high, proud and defiant, yet resigned to her fate as though she were marching to her execution with every step she took.

"Come, precious. Let us sit down and have a chat, shall we?"

He led her to the couch downstairs and took a seat gesturing for her to do the same. The room was silent for a moment as the former adversaries stared each other down as if sizing each other up for the battle ahead.

"Why are you here? You have no power over me and you can't have my brother. I solved your Labyrinth. You have no right to be here," she blurted out breaking the silence.

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, precious. I have every right to be here _and_ to claim what's mine," he declared.

"I let you win. You lost many times over yet I allowed you to leave with the child who rightfully belongs to me, to return to your world and I waited… waited until the time was right, waited to hear you call for me, waited… until you were ready to come home,"

His eyes narrowed as he said, "Well, I'm tired of waiting."

Sarah's breath caught in her throat, fear striking her at his words.

"I… lost? How? When? What did I do?"

Then, she glared at him defiantly as she yelled out, "You're lying! I won fair and square. This is another one of your tricks!"

She was livid now as she rose to her feet, balling her fingers into fists and pacing the room. She wanted to throw something. There was no way she lost. Her heart started racing again as she thought of Toby sleeping soundly in his bed upstairs. She couldn't lose him, no matter what.

"I assure you, it is not," he replied, with conviction.

"Would you like to see how you lost the game," he asked as he conjured up a crystal. "Come, I'll show you," he said patting the seat beside him.

Sarah's curiosity got the better of her and she returned to the couch leaving ample space between her and the Goblin King. As she took her seat, a scene began to appear in the crystal.

There she was, her 15-year-old self, standing in the garden outside the gates of the Labyrinth with Hoggle as she bent over to pick up the fairy he had just sprayed with pesticide and the shocked words "It bit me," as she held it in her hand.

"You see," said the king, smirking as the scene disappeared.

"You lost before you even made it into the Labyrinth. I could've ended it there but I let you continue. I'd say that was quite generous of me."

"She bit me," she shrugged.

"So, what? How does that mean I lost," she asked, clearly confused about the rules of the game.

"Had that pixie not drawn blood, perhaps it would not have mattered much. However, as luck would have it, she did. For a mortal, blood contact with a creature of the Labyrinth is akin to being touched by the Labyrinth itself. It was awakened to you at that very moment and it sees you as its own. You belong to my world now just as surely as I, or any of my subjects and believe me, it wasn't easy for me to let you go when the Labyrinth desired to keep you as much as I did. I see the changes in you even now, though you have been away from the Underground for so long. The magic of the Labyrinth is strong within you and, Toby, for that matter. I know you must feel it. You must know you don't belong here, that something is missing. This world is no longer your home," he said solemnly as he peered back at the clouds forming within the crystal, another scene beginning to form.

"Shall we see the second time you lost the game," he asked grinning slyly at her as they watched the events unfold before them. Sarah's younger self appeared once more, thanking Hoggle for the peach he had given her and taking a bite out of it.

Sarah watched as the ballroom scene unfolded before her. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes as she remembered the way it felt dancing in his arms as he sang to her and the forlorn look in his eyes as she ran from him away from that dream.

Having revealed all it was meant to, the crystal popped leaving a shower of glitter in its wake.

Sarah's eyes sparked with anger.

"You tricked me into eating that peach. I didn't know it was tainted with magic."

"Tricked or not, you still ate it of your own free will. It is not the magic but the peach that matters. You ate the food of the Underground. Surely, you know from your fairy stories, in which, I am aware, you are well versed, that eating the food in fairy lands traps you there forever," he couldn't help but notice the dawning realization on her face.

"You are forever bound to the Labyrinth. The only reason you were able to leave at all is because I allowed you to."

"I don't understand. Why did you let us leave if you won?"

"I did it because you were so young. I knew you weren't ready. You were still a child. I realized I needed to let you grow in your own time and grow, you have. You're a woman now, no longer the pouty little girl who cried out how unfair it all was at every turn."

"You have no idea how difficult it has been for me to watch from afar. How long a time 5 years can seem -even to me, a being who has existed for centuries as though they were but a blink of an eye- when the one you love is there in front of you just out of reach. Each day, you hope beyond hope that by some miracle, today will be the day she finally calls your name to end your suffering but days come and pass and she never does."

His voice broke a bit as he continued, "Can't you see? Everything I did, I did for you. You wanted a villain and I gave it to you. You wanted a grand adventure, I gave it to you. You wanted your brother back, I returned him to you."

"Surely, now, enough time has passed that you can see me as more than just the monster you made me out to be," he implored her, his eyes pleading with her to see the truth.

"Perhaps, now we can talk about the reason I am here and the unspoken wish you dare not utter," he ventured.

"I have some questions first if that's alright," she said, hopefully.

"Fire away, I'm not going anywhere."

"I get now why you let us go but you said something about changes. What did you mean by that?"

"Well, you're probably not going to like the answer," he paused for a moment to consider the best way to phrase it before he continued with a deep breath.

"The moment you were bitten, your very being began to change. You became a creature of the Labyrinth. The magic began to flow through you at that very instant. The Labyrinth chose your form. Because it had recognized you as my equal, chosen you as my mate, it chose fae. Though you do not realize it, you are mostly fae now."

"I wanted to allow you the opportunity to return home, to give you a chance to grow up in the mortal world. Had I known how very unfit your parents were I might have changed my mind but that is neither here nor there so, I cast wards on you to suppress the magic within you, for the time being, at least. However, if you had stayed in my world but a moment longer, you would not have been able to return here for more than a few short visits every now and again. You are, as I've said, a creature of the Underground now. You belong there."

"The wards won't last forever and they grow weaker day by day. You will have to return home eventually and once you do, you will be fully fae. If you choose to stay here once the wards have lost their power you will surely die. There is nothing I can do to change that not that I would even if I could. You belong by my side."

"How long do I have," she cried as she processed what he had just told her the anguish plain on her face. He reached out to comfort her but she turned away.

"I'm afraid, my love, even I do not have the answer to that but, if I were to venture a guess, a year. A little more. A little less. Who can say for certain?"

Her eyes searched his for some hope of escape from the fate that had befallen her but found only his resolve. She knew he wouldn't help her escape the Labyrinth's grasp on her. He wanted her to return to the Underground.

"Though you may think of it as nothing more than a place, the Labyrinth is a living, breathing, entity that can shape its entire realm at a very whim whether it be mine or its own design. It has been formed from the dreams and wishes of thousands of sleeping mortals over thousands of years since the beginning of time. It is timeless and ageless and quite powerful, more powerful than even I. It chose me as its king and it allows me a great deal of freedom in shaping and changing its borders at will but I do not control it. It can be capricious and self-serving and, when it wants something there is no standing in its way. You see, my dear Sarah, the Labyrinth was, indeed, playing for keeps."

"I will accept my fate when the time comes because it seems I have no choice but what does my being bitten have to do with Toby? Why would that affect him? Just let him go. None of this is his fault," the tears were welling up yet again but she was determined not to let them fall.

"Be that as it may, I cannot, as you say, let him go. He is in the same boat as you, I'm afraid. He will have to return to the Underground."

"You see, your brother's form was chosen at the moment you lost the game. He belongs to the Underground as surely as you or I. I have already chosen him as my heir and he is my son. We are bound by the magic of the Labyrinth. It is as though he is my own flesh and blood. Surely, in the back of your mind, where you lock away all your thoughts and memories of your time in my Labyrinth, you must have known. I know you've seen his resemblance to me at times. I've seen it in your eyes when you look at him. It both terrifies and excites you that my son takes after me."

Sarah's eyes widened at that "Yes, Sarah, I have been watching over you both for all this time, waiting, as I've said, for you to finally see that you belong in the Underground. Tonight, when I heard you utter those words I knew it was time to make myself known to you."

Sarah's head was spinning with all the revelations before her. She'd lost the game. Her brother belonged to the Goblin King and she belonged to the Labyrinth. All this time she thought she was safe, free of that world, and now, it was back to snatch her and her little brother up again to keep. She was afraid. She didn't know what all this would mean for either of them and she was at a loss for what she could do. It was too much to handle. She leaned back on the couch and brought her knees to her chest burying her head as she began to cry. Like a tidal wave, the tears began to flow. She couldn't stop them. They just kept coming.

She froze for a moment when Jareth pulled her into his arms but she didn't pull away. She felt strangely safe and secure in his strong arms and she gripped him tightly as the tears continued to fall. He rubbed circles on her back to soothe them away shushing and cooing about how it would all be alright. She cried for what seemed like such a long time for so many things; the sense of profound loss she had felt since she left the Underground, for the love of a man she might have stayed for had it not been for her brother and, for Toby, poor sweet, innocent Toby, who was dragged into this mess because of her selfish wish and now had no choice in the matter at all. When she had finally composed herself and let go of the Goblin King, he handed her a handkerchief. She ventured a glance at him then and noticed not only the concerned look in his eye but that his shirt was saturated in her tears.

"Feel better, precious," he asked eyeing her warily as she nodded slightly.

Slowly, he reached a hand out to touch her face and stroked her cheek when she didn't pull away. She knew she should be angry. She should be afraid but despite herself, she leaned into his touch. Emerald green eyes stared into his mismatched blue ones at this intimate gesture. She couldn't deny how much she desired him. How much she craved his touch. Even now, when she'd found out just how much he and his Labyrinth had stacked the deck against her, she couldn't deny him. Taking full advantage, he pulled her into his arms once again.

"Sarah, I have loved you since the very first moment I laid eyes on you and I want nothing more than to take you home and make you my Queen. You care for Prince Toby as if he is your own son. I have already adopted him. Make my family complete and marry me."

"I know you're not happy here. I've seen it on your face countless times when you think nobody is looking. I know, in dreams you return to the Underground every night. I have seen them first-hand. There's nothing here for you in this mundane world. I have seen your life here. Your parents have all but abandoned you and you tend to that child's every need 24 hours a day. Just think what I can give you both if you come home. No more worries about whether the bills will get paid or if there will be food on the table. No more late nights spent wondering if your parents would return home at all. I've seen you stress over so many things time and again as you've struggled along in this mortal world. Just think of what I can offer you. Think of how much happier you will both be in the Underground where there are so many things to explore and adventures to be had, a whole kingdom at your disposal, the best education for Toby and for you. I can show you so many things, beautiful, wondrous things await you the likes of which you can not even imagine. Please, just say the words. Tell me you want to come home," he said the word home as though it were a caress, warm and inviting, beckoning to her to return to the place she belonged.

Sarah couldn't take it anymore, she had to get up and move around. She jumped up and began to pace around the room. She couldn't think with his proximity so near. She had to process everything he'd said to her. What she was. What she would be. What she had done to her poor sleeping brother. What would she say to him when he woke up? Would he hate her for wishing him away? Would he be as afraid as she was or embrace the new life that awaited him? Would he be angry his choice in the matter was taken away? She honestly didn't know any of the answers and she sure as hell didn't know what to do. It was obvious there was not really much she could do but she had to do something even if it _was _just pacing back and forth across the room thinking.

After she had all but worn a hole in the carpet with her pacing, Jareth's impatience got the better of him and he stood. "Sarah," he said as he walked towards her. "I know it's hard to process all of this but wearing a hole in the carpet will not make things any easier on you. Although, I do think I might be able to help you relieve some of the tension I know you are feeling."

Sarah backed away from him as he charged steadily towards her. She kept moving backwards until there was nowhere left to go as her back hit the wall at the far end of the room. He leaned over her, one hand bracing the wall while the other raised her chin so he could gaze into her eyes willing her to see into the very depths of his soul. She was surrounded by the spicy, intoxicating scent of him. Her heart was beating so fast she was sure it would jump right out of her chest. She could feel the warmth of him radiating right into her own skin. She brought her hands up to his shoulders with the intention of pushing him away but again, she couldn't bring herself to deny him.

He began slowly, his lips lightly brushing at the hollow of her throat. She turned her head to the side allowing him better access as he began kissing his way up her neck. When he got to the sensitive spot right behind her ear, he whispered "I love you, Sarah," before nibbling lightly on her earlobe.

At this, Sarah opened her mouth with a soft moan. This was all the invitation he needed. In a moment, his lips were on hers. Sarah couldn't help but react. It was like his passion was stoking the smoldering embers deep within her igniting a fire she had never felt before. He was starving for the taste of the one he had craved for so long, his mouth furiously devouring the soft, sweet flavor of her. His tongue was stroking her lips begging for entrance.

He gently nibbled her bottom lip and she acquiesced allowing his tongue to slide inside her mouth. Their tongues danced together both fighting for dominance, each equally as ravenous for the other. In no time, she had her arms around his neck and her hands were running through his amazingly soft, silky hair as both his hands went to her waist pulling her closer. She leaned into him craving that contact until she didn't know where she ended and he began.

He trailed his hands up and down her sides and back leaving fire in their wake everywhere he touched. She had never felt anything like this before. Sure she'd gone on a few dates and kissed a few boys before but they were just that, boys. None of them could even compare to the man she had before her now.

As his hands traveled her body brazenly discovering more and more of her, hers began to drift to his chest tracing lines up and down along his toned abs, the poet's shirt allowing easy access. Time seemed to stand still as they continued to explore each other, their wanton need growing with every touch until suddenly, a creak alerted them to the sound of the front door opening.

It seems that her father and stepmother had actually decided to grace their children with their presence for a change. Before she could even blink, the Goblin King was gone and Sarah was standing alone in the living room bracing the wall for support face flushed, eyes glazed, every inch of her he'd touched still burning as though she were branded by his very touch.

"Goodnight to you too," she grumbled under her breath.

She didn't even have time to collect herself before she was caught like a deer in the headlights by her stepmother entering the room.

**A/N: Alrighty, here goes nothing. This is my first Labyrinth fic and my first attempt at writing romantic content of any sort. I've been trying to find a beta to look it over but I have yet to find one so I will post it as it is for now. Hopefully I will get some much needed critical feedback so I might learn something. Please feel free to let me have it if you think it's horrible. I really do appreciate any kind of feedback at all.**


	2. Parents, Who Needs 'Em

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Labyrinth or the Goblin King but I wish… ah, forget it. On with the show!**

**Chapter 2: Parents, Who Needs 'Em**

She didn't even have time to collect herself before she was caught like a deer in the headlights by her stepmother entering the room.

"What is going on here?"

"Uh…. Nothing. I was just… headed up to bed. Goodnight," said Sarah, darting for the stairs as quickly as she could in avoidance of another run-in with her parents. She just wasn't in the mood for such things tonight.

"Wait just one moment, young lady," shouted her stepmother halting her quick getaway.

"What," she groaned turning around to face them once again.

"Would you just look at the state of her, Robert? No doubt she has a man in here. A strange man in _my_ house. Where is he," she asked, her shrill voice getting considerably louder with every syllable.

"I don't know what you're talking about. We are the only ones here. Can you at least keep your voice down? Toby is trying to sleep. Not that you care any or you wouldn't be stumbling in here at all hours of the night making as much noise as you please."

"How dare you speak to me that way? You ungrateful brat! You have some nerve. Here you are, living under my roof at 20 years old and you dare to speak to me in that tone of voice. Unbelievable. You're lucky I don't throw you out on the street. If I find so much as one thing out of place, so help me…"

"Irene, let's just give it a rest for tonight. If Sarah says there's nobody here…"

"Honestly, Robert you don't believe that, do you? Just look at her. Her clothes are all mussed, her hair is all tangled, her face is all flushed. I mean, for Pete's sake, she was gripping the wall like she was hanging on for dear life. The only real questions are how did he get away so quickly and where is she hiding him? He has to be here, we would've seen someone leaving."

"I already told you, there's nobody else here. Take a look around if you don't believe me," said Sarah, opening the hall closet as if to prove her point.

"Then, tell me, Sarah, how do you explain the state you were in when we walked in the door?"

"I… fell asleep on the couch. I… was on my way up to bed when I tripped on Toby's sneakers. I guess he forgot to put them away again. Luckily, I caught myself. Hence, the reason I was gripping the wall," she said, pointing at the shoes in the middle of the floor.

She mouthed a thank you to the goblin that was creeping back into a dark corner of the kitchen as her parents stared with befuddled looks at the shoes they hadn't noticed there before.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm pretty tired. I'm going to bed," retreating up the stairs as she spoke leaving her stepmother fuming behind her.

She had planned to stay up a while to think things over but found herself too exhausted to stay awake. She fell into a fitful sleep that night. Instead of her usual pleasant dreams of the Labyrinth and her friends, she had a nightmare, one that shook her to the core.

It started out normal enough. She entered the Labyrinth through the garden as she always did but nobody was there to greet her as they always were. As the gate closed behind her, nothing was at all the way she remembered it. The walls were cracked and crumbling, everything that was once green and alive had turned grey, the sky was dark and gloomy. She reached out to touch one of the lichen on the wall and it crumbled to dust. It was as if the Labyrinth was dying.

"What is happening," she cried.

She ran frantically, looking for a hidden opening but there were none as there had been before, just a straight path that went on and on. At the end of the path, she could see Jareth and he was crying, the sobs echoing across the barren corridor, ringing through her ears. It was heart-wrenching. She never thought she'd see the Goblin King cry and it was killing her to watch. She wanted to run to him, to comfort him. She called out to him but he couldn't hear her. He never looked up from the crystal he held in his hand, the familiar scene she recognized all too well repeating over and over as he cried. She kept running towards him trying to reach him but she couldn't. No matter how far or how fast she ran, he was always the same distance away. She'd never reach him.

"Why, Sarah," he cried out in anguish.

"Sarah"

"Jareth, I'm here! I'm right here! Look at me, I'm right here!" she screamed.

"Sarah," she awoke to the sound of Toby's voice calling her name in alarm, his hands shaking her roughly in an attempt to wake her up.

"Toby," she asked, opening one eye to see the boy sitting on the edge of her bed, a worried look on his face.

"Yeah, it's me. Who else would it be? You were talking in your sleep. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It was just a bad dream," she said as she sat up still shaking from the memory.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Not really. I'm okay. It was just a dream," she said trying to convince herself as much as she was her brother.

"Uh-huh," he said with a raised eyebrow, entirely unconvinced.

"What time is it, anyway" she asked, changing the subject as she glanced at the alarm clock, it was 8am.

"What are you doing up so early on a Saturday? You never get up this early."

"I don't know. Couldn't sleep, I guess. But, it's a good thing I was. You sounded really scared. It must've been some nightmare."

There was a long pause and Toby realized he wasn't going to get anything more out of her so he changed the subject.

"I heard you and the 'rents fighting again last night. You could hear that woman from a mile away, couldn't you? She's just so loud."

"I'm sorry we woke you up. I told her to keep it down."

"I hate them, you know, both of them," he blurted out.

Sarah gasped, "Toby!"

"I do. She's just plain evil and he never says a word, just does whatever she says. Who needs them anyway? Sometimes, I wish they'd just…"

Sarah quickly reached over and covered Toby's mouth as she cried out, "Don't!"

"What did I tell you about making wishes," she asked, peering nervously out the window.

"Be careful what you wish for cause you just might get it," he replied, rolling his eyes at her.

"That's right. Always remember that. Regardless of the way they behave, they're still your parents and you'd be sorry if anything happened to them. Believe me, I know."

"So… was I dreaming last night or did all that stuff really happen?"

"What stuff," she asked hoping he'd write the whole thing off as a dream.

"Come on, Sarah. You know what I'm talking about. The owl/man/Goblin King? You said we'd talk about it in the morning."

"You know what? I'm hungry. Aren't you hungry? Why don't we go down to the diner for breakfast, just the two of us? We can order your favorite. Go get dressed."

Toby might've been hungry, starving even, and chocolate chip pancakes sounded great about now but there was no way he was letting her off that easy. He wanted answers.

"Sarah," he whined as he stared her down.

"Alright, alright. Yes, it did happen. I'll tell you everything just… not right now, okay," she pleaded.

"Let's go have breakfast then we'll go down to the park and talk. I'd rather not be here when _they_ wake up," she pleaded, gesturing towards her parents' room.

"Promise?"

"I promise. Now, go get dressed," she said shooing him out the door with a wave of her hand.

After she was showered and dressed, Sarah went to the chest in her closet where she kept all her trinkets from her teen years. Hidden away at the bottom of the chest, wrapped up in a blanket was the book she was looking for. The red cover worn, the pages yellowed as any old and well-read book would be. She couldn't help running her fingers over the embossed word on the cover and felt a sort of spark run through her as she did. Yep, it was definitely time to tell Toby everything. She just hoped he wouldn't hate her for what she did. She carefully placed the book inside her purse and went to collect her brother.

When she came to his doorway, she saw him frantically searching his room, tossing things here and there, peering under the bed.

Looking up from his search he asked, "Sarah, have you seen my shoes?"


	3. Nothing Is As It Seems

**Chapter 3: Nothing Is As It Seems**

Looking up from his search he asked, "Sarah, have you seen my shoes?"

Sarah knew Toby had plenty of shoes but there was only one pair he wore most every day. He picked them out himself the last time Sarah took him shopping and he loved them. They were the very same pair that happened to be sitting in the middle of the living room at the moment. She couldn't help but laugh.

"What," he asked.

"Nothing… I… saw your shoes in the living room last night."

"Huh? But… I could've sworn I left them by the bed last night," he said, scratching his head in confusion.

"Ah, well, pancakes are waiting," he said bounding towards the door.

"And answers," he added over his shoulder.

"Let's go," he proclaimed as he strapped his shoes on his feet and marched towards the front door in search of his breakfast.

Sarah let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding as she moved to follow him. She really didn't think she'd get out of an explanation that easily and she just wasn't ready for it at the moment. She at least needed a cup of coffee first.

The diner was a cheery place, the very definition of a classic diner from the neon Annie's Diner sign to the comfy red booths, jukebox, and black and white checkerboard floors. She loved the atmosphere, it was always so inviting. She always took Toby for breakfast whenever she could scrape up enough cash. Being a full-time student and supporting a six-year-old on odd jobs and financial aid wasn't exactly an easy task. It was okay on the months that her parents actually remembered to pay the bills but when they didn't, she was always struggling to get by.

"Hey, Sarah," greeted Annie, placing a coffee cup, a steaming hot pot of coffee, and some creamers in front of her and a chocolate milkshake in front of Toby.

"Thank you! You're an angel," Sarah declared.

"Not exactly."

"Hmm?"

The fair-haired woman smiled, casting her eyes downward before saying, "Nothing… uh… long time, no see."

"I know. It's been a tough couple months," she replied.

"I understand. Look at you, little man. You're growing up so fast! Every time I see you, I swear you've grown a foot."

"Hi, Annie," Toby greeted, flashing her his 100-watt smile.

"Aww, quite the charmer, this one."

"So… what'll it be? The usual?"

"What else," they both replied in unison.

"Alrighty, then. Chocolate chip pancakes for you with a side of bacon. And, French toast and eggs over-easy with bacon for you. Honestly, Sarah I don't know where you put it all with that figure of yours. Be back in a jiff. Do you need anything else?"

"Nah, we're good. Thanks!"

Sarah watched with a smile as Annie strode off to the kitchen. It never struck her as odd that Annie was so young until just at that moment. She never seemed to age. Sarah had heard of aging gracefully but Annie looked the exact same now as she had the day Sarah walked into this place 5 years ago. Just thinking back on how much she and Toby had changed in 5 years, it seemed rather odd. That's when Sarah really started to look around. One thing she'd learned from her time in the Labyrinth was that nothing is ever what it seems. Sure, it looked like a regular diner on the outside, and on the inside but there was a shimmer in the air, something off she'd never noticed before. Something definitely wasn't right here.

She was startled out of her thoughts as a plate was placed in front of her. She looked up to see Annie wink at her as she placed her brother's plate in front of him. Toby dug in immediately while Sarah picked at her food taking a bite here and there and moving food across her plate. She'd barely eaten a thing when Annie came back to check on her.

"What's up, girl? You never leave food on your plate," Annie asked eyeing her warily.

"Nothing… I just have a lot on my mind, I guess," she replied.

"Okay, well, you know I'm here if you want to talk about it," she said as she turned to walk away.

"Toby, I'll be right back. I need to speak to Annie for a minute, okay," she asked, standing to follow Annie as she walked away.

"No problem. Hey, are you gonna eat that," he asked, eyeing her French toast.

"Go for it," she said as she followed after Annie.

"Annie," she said, placing a hand on Annie's arm.

Annie turned to face her then, her ice-blue eyes searching Sarah's. She nodded, realizing Sarah was finally catching on.

"What is this place," Sarah asked.

Annie gestured to the empty booth to the left of her. Sarah sat down, her eyes on Toby as he scarfed down his breakfast and started in on hers.

"It's a diner, silly. What else?"

"No, it's something more, something other. Please don't lie to me, Annie."

"It is a diner, Sarah. Just not your typical every day diner."

She sighed before she continued, "It's a Waypoint for the fae. A sanctuary, of sorts, for creatures of the Underground as well as the fae who live in the Above. It has been other things over the years a tavern, an inn, a café, all kinds of things but I like the diner best, for now, anyway. It's so quaint. I think maybe it's time you see this place the way it really is," she said as she gestured around the room.

"Guys, you can drop the glamour! She knows," she yelled.

"Whoa," Sarah exclaimed as she glanced around wide-eyed as the forms of the many patrons of the diner began to change.

Some looked mostly human as Annie and Jareth, some had wings, others scales, one had violet skin another pale blue each one as different as the next. They came in all different shapes and sizes but all were clearly fae. She glanced over at Toby to gauge his reaction and it didn't seem to faze him at all.

As if she'd read Sarah's mind Annie answered, "Toby's always seen us as we are."

"What? How do you know?"

"He asked me once why everybody looked so different."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him they were fae. He just said 'okay cool' and that was the end of it."

"You have to know, the day you walked in here with your brother I couldn't believe my eyes. Ordinary mortals never come in here. To them, it's just an abandoned building. I knew you must be different, special somehow. It wasn't until you left here that day that I realized you were my brother's beloved, the Champion of the Labyrinth. I noticed him following you in his owl form as you walked down the road. You seemed to be unaware of his presence and I decided then, that it wasn't my place to tell you about it. Later, when he came back to see me, I asked him about you and he told me all would reveal itself in due time, and so it has."

"He's your brother," Sarah asked incredulously.

"Well, yes, Jareth is my half-brother on my father's side. You see, I'm half-mortal. My father's a bit of a womanizer and he has had many affairs with mortal women over the years. I haven't seen him much but he comes and goes as he pleases as the fae tend to do. Jareth is pretty much the only member of my family that gives me the time of day. I was raised by my mother here in the mortal realm. She's the reason I decided to stay in the Above and run this Waypoint. I only wish she were still here."

"I could leave here now that she's gone but I refuse. I don't wish to live in the Underground or in that pomp and circumstance Faerie Court my brother was raised in. Jareth hated all that court drama so much he ran away from home at 16 to find his way in the world. He made his home in the Underground, which was a much more terrifying place when he got there, let me tell you. It was a harsh, cruel place. There were wars and poverty and the fae all ran amuck tormenting and enslaving the goblins. Jareth changed all that the day he struck a deal with the Labyrinth to help him turn the place around. The Labyrinth empowered him as king out of love for its creatures. Jareth and the goblins fought hard to wrest the Goblin City's control away from the clutches of the fae and sent them all packing unless they swore fealty and stepped in line. With the help of the Labyrinth, he freed the goblins and the other citizens of the Underground once and for all within less than a year and he has been reigning over the Goblin Kingdom ever since."

"He might make a show of being cruel but he is actually quite kind and so very brave. And, believe it or not, he's a great big brother. He's always gone out of his way to take care of me and let me know I'm not alone in the world because believe me, it can get very lonely here despite all the people around. I only hope one day I can be lucky enough to find someone to love me as much as my brother loves you."

Sarah opened her mouth to interject but Annie cut her off.

"I could've told him that kidnapping your beloved's younger sibling wasn't the way to win a girl's affection but you know he wouldn't have listened. As it is with pretty much all men, he had to do it his way. Still, I'll never forget how sad and dejected he was the day you turned him down. It was as if someone had taken his heart and stomped on it, crushed it, and left him alone to pick up the pieces. Until that day, I had never seen my brother cry. It took a really long time for him to get over that and I fear he is still not quite himself, even now," she said as she looked into Sarah's eyes with her own tear-filled ones, then, she wiped away the tears with the back of her hand and smiled conspiratorially.

"Last night though, when he came to see me, quite late in the evening might I add, he was happier than I've seen him in years and I suspect it has something to do with you."

Sarah blushed at Annie's words.

"Don't worry, love. He doesn't kiss and tell. He's just easy to read as are you. All he would say is that he's finally made some progress. Do you wanna dish on the details?"

"Um… you know, Toby's probably ready to get out of here. It looks like he's eaten his breakfast and mine and I promised him I'd take him to the park," she said glancing towards her brother who was busying himself by folding one of the placemats into a rather elaborate paper plane.

Annie glanced over Sarah's shoulder and said, "Okay, but let me ask you something before you go."

"What?"

"I'm no psychologist or anything but doesn't it strike you as odd that you and your brother feel most at home in the two places in this city most connected to the fae? Think about it."

"Wait, what? You said two places. What do you mean?"

"Come on, Sarah. You mean to tell me you've never spotted fae in that park, dryads in the trees, naiads in the river, the occasional goblins and sprites in the forest? There are portals to Faerie and the Underground both in that park. How do you think Jareth ever came to notice you in the first place?"

"What do you know about it," she asked defensively.

Instead of answering, Annie just smiled.

"I was there collecting some of my wayward goblins who had escaped through the portal when I saw you for the first time."

Sarah turned to see the Goblin King standing above the table.

"Annabelle," he nodded at Annie and she rose from her seat.

"I'll leave you two alone for a bit. My nephew looks bored," she said hugging her brother as he moved into the seat she had vacated.

Sarah eyed Annie curiously wondering just how much her friend really knew about her current situation.

"My sister and I don't keep secrets from one another," he said in answer to the unspoken question.

Sarah stole a glance at her brother then, feeling a twinge of guilt at how many secrets she had been keeping from him.

Toby looked across to see Sarah sitting with the man from last night. When her eyes met his, she looked away quickly. He was about to get up to demand his answers now, damn it, when Annie approached the table.

"Hey, Toby wanna play Crazy 8's," she asked, joining him at the table with a deck of cards.

They're just talkin' you'd be bored, trust me. Let's play," she said drawing his attention back to her.

"Okay," he replied reluctantly.

Sarah waited for the Goblin King to elaborate on his story and when he didn't, she said, "So, you were collecting goblins and…."

"I heard you call my name. Well, my title anyway. You were reading from The Labyrinth. I didn't even know such a book existed until I saw you reading from it. I was curious so I changed into my owl form and perched on a branch to listen. I was so enchanted by you I came back the next day and the next and there you were. The more often I visited the more infatuated with you I became. I watched in rapt fascination as you rehearsed your stories aloud in the park but I respected your privacy. I never followed you home or intruded on your everyday life until the day you made your wish."

"I was elated that I would finally get the chance to know you, then. You were everything I ever could have dreamed and more. You carry yourself like a queen. You fought more gallantly than any child I've seen to get your brother back. You'd be surprised how many accept my gift and forget the child or give up at the first obstacle they face. I've never seen anyone fight so hard. You rose to every challenge I sent your way. Who'd have known that you'd steal my heart and run away with it as you have?"

He reached across the table and took her hand in his as she blushed.

"You _have_ stolen my heart, Sarah. I hope one day you'll see that and accept me but until then, let's focus on the question at hand shall we?"

Sarah looked at him inquisitively.

"Now that I'm thinking about it, perhaps my sister is right. Maybe you are more connected to my world than you or I even realized. Riddle me this, do you know where the book came from?"

"I found it. It was just lying there in the park under a tree. I assumed someone had lost it. I was going to leave it in case someone came back for it but I was…"

"Drawn to it," Jareth asked looking into her alarmed eyes.

"Just as I suspected," he nodded.

"Would you mind if I take a look at this book? I'd be willing to wait for you here or in the park if you'd like while you retrieve it. I really think it will shed some light on things."

It took him by surprise when Sarah reached into her bag to pull out the book in question. Feeling that strange jolt she'd felt as she'd touched it before, she dropped it on the table as quickly as she'd picked it up.

**A/N: I've been reading a lot of faerie stories lately, Wicked Lovely, in particular and I've been watching Lost Girl so I can see that some of that influence has been carrying over into the rules of this particular story, not so much that it's a crossover but it is sort of a mish-mash of different things I've read over the years. Anyway, thanks to everyone who has read this and favorited and followed and reviewed. Your comments are really helping this along.**


	4. The Truth Will Set You Free

**Chapter 4: The Truth Will Set You Free**

It took him by surprise when Sarah reached into her bag to pull out the book in question. Feeling that strange jolt she'd felt as she'd touched it before, she dropped it on the table as quickly as she'd picked it up.

The sudden burst of magical energy had the eyes of every faery in the room on Sarah.

Speaking loud enough for Annie to hear, Jareth suggested, "Perhaps we should continue this conversation in a more private setting."

Quickly pulling a cloth from his pocket, Jareth wrapped the book up and stuck it in the breast pocket of his vest before rising from his seat and holding a hand out to Sarah to assist her out of hers.

Forgetting the card game neither of them was paying attention to anyway, Annie stood pulling Toby along with her.

"I'll bet you've always wondered what it looks like upstairs," she said gesturing towards the red spiral staircase in the back corner of the room and Toby nodded allowing her to tow him along.

"Hey, Eoghan, I'm headed upstairs, you're in charge! Try not to let Declan burn the place down while I'm gone," she hollered into the kitchen.

Declan, the tall, lanky faery with light-brown spikey hair popped his head out of the kitchen at the mention of his name. Sarah noticed he didn't look much different without a glamour. There was a glow about him and a slight slant to his ears but other than that, he could pass for ordinary.

"Oi! Ye of little faith! You wound me, Annie," he joked, placing his hand over his heart in mock pain. Only Sarah seemed to notice the glint of real hurt in his eyes as he smiled playfully before returning to his work in the kitchen.

Sarah looked on in awe at seeing Eoghan without a glamour for the first time when he exited the kitchen. It's not every day you see a bear in a chef's hat and an apron. He wasn't all bear, of course, but his ursine traits couldn't be missed. He had the ears and tail of a bear as well as large dark brown eyes and fur on the backs of his hands.

"So that's why Toby calls him Papa Bear," she mused, blushing when she realized she'd said it out loud.

Eoghan burst out into a loud guffaw that had everyone smiling and laughing along despite the circumstances before saying, "Go on, then, I've got this," and shooing them on up the stairs.

Annie led the group up the stairs into the rooms above the diner. Sarah and Toby both looked on in wide-eyed wonderment at what they saw when Annie opened the large wooden door at the top of the stairs. Neither of them had ever seen anything like it. The first thing they noticed is how much larger it was on the inside than it looked from outside or even from downstairs.

It was as if they had stepped into a rainforest. Large vines with spectacular blooms, vibrant pinks and purples, blues and lush greens and just about every color you could imagine snaked up the walls and around the doorframes of each room as far as the eye could see.

"Quite a drastic change of scenery from the diner downstairs, isn't it," Annie asked as she led them down the corridor to her private apartment.

Both Sarah and Toby just nodded as they followed behind the two fae siblings leading the way.

"What is all this," Sarah asked.

"Remember how I told you this was a Waypoint? This is a boarding house, of sorts, for fae seeking sanctuary or just a place to rest their heads during their travels. I guess you could call it a hotel for fae. Welcome to my home," she said, as she held open the door to her apartment for them to enter.

After seeing the outside of the apartment, Sarah couldn't hide her shock that the apartment they had entered had none of the lush greenery that the outer room had housed. It was quite large and had comfortable looking, puffy, baby blue chairs, a fluffy cerulean blue couch, which was no larger than a loveseat and a large natural wood coffee table. With all the blues in the room Sarah was sure she knew what color was Annie's favorite without a doubt. The walls were a shade of sky blue with clouds floating, Sarah blinked, yes, the clouds were floating across the wall, which was the focal point of the room.

There was no television or computer but there was a phone on a small glass table by the wooden porthole-shaped window that looked out over the park across the way. Two very large, overly full bookshelves lined the side wall of the room. Sarah wondered if Annie had read all of the books on the shelves. The living area opened up into a large dining area with a lovely periwinkle-colored marbled bar and oak high-backed bar stools with intricately carved flower-shaped designs and an open view of the kitchen, which had a wooden stove and ceramic cookware hung on hooks along the wall. Sarah took note of the fact that there wasn't much metal to be seen anywhere, not even a refrigerator, and remembered reading something about iron being poisonous to fae. She suddenly wondered how they kept things cold in the diner and what the kitchen looked like. She tried to make a mental note to ask Annie about that later.

Jareth made himself comfortable on the couch while Annie gave them a quick tour of the rest of the apartment. She had two bedrooms, both of which could be large enough to be considered master bedrooms if Sarah were to judge by the size of an ordinary apartment and both had huge walk-in closets but only Annie's had a private bath. The main bathroom was equipped with a shower the likes of which Sarah had never seen. It was a waterfall, stones and all that emptied into a small stone-lined pool and the water was just the right temperature for bathing, not too hot and not too cold. After the tour, they all settled into the living room. Toby dove into one of the large blue chairs while Annie rushed over to the other leaving Sarah to squeeze into the loveseat with Jareth, which, he took full advantage of by sitting as close to the middle of the seat as possible.

Now that they were settled in, Sarah noticed that the book was on the coffee table still wrapped in the cloth Jareth had placed it in when they left the diner. He had obviously been waiting for her to return before he examined it.

Upon seeing the book, Annie said, "Hey, Toby, maybe we should go back down to the diner and see if Papa Bear needs any help."

In answer, Toby shouted "No," and leaned back in his seat with his arms crossed in full pout mode.

"Sarah promised me answers and I want them now!"

Annie got to her feet and headed towards Toby intent on dragging him out whether he liked it or not when Sarah said, "Let him stay. He has a right to know. This involves him as much as it does me."

"Very well," Annie said, returning to her chair, shooting Jareth a glare as if to say, he's your son, alright.

"I'm so sorry, Toby," she said as she began her story.

"When you were a baby, only a year old, I did something horrible," she choked as the tears started to flow.

"I… I was only 15 and I was so mad at them for leaving me to watch you all the time and you just wouldn't stop crying. I didn't know…"

"Didn't know what," he prompted as he got up from his spot in the chair and came to wedge himself between his crying sister and the Goblin King hugging her tightly and looking up forcing her to look him in the eye.

"I didn't know they were real," she gestured towards Annie and Jareth.

"I wished you away! I wished the goblins would come and take you away…. And they did, he did," she cried, pointing in Jareth's direction before bursting into an inconsolable bout of sobs.

"You… wished me away? That's silly, I'm right here."

Sarah drew upon every ounce of control she had to pull herself together realizing that she needed to be strong right now for her brother. She owed him that much.

"I won you back. Or, at least, I thought I did. I fought my way through the Goblin City to the castle in the center of the Labyrinth and I got you back but I didn't know then, that I had already lost. You… I… _we_ belong to _him _now," she said, gesturing again towards the Goblin King. Even as she said it, she knew it was right. She _was_ his even if she didn't want to admit it.

"Can you ever forgive me, Toby?"

With wisdom beyond his years he hugged his sister even tighter and answered, "How could you have known anything would happen? It was just a silly wish. It wasn't your fault. Besides, it was more _their_ fault than yours. They were never around and you were just a kid. They probably wouldn't have cared if we never came back from that place. I do get now why you always tell me to be careful what I wish for."

Toby then turned an appraising eye on the Goblin King before jumping to his feet, putting up his fists prepared for a fight and saying, "Nobody owns me, _or_ my sister!"

Jareth couldn't hide his amusement at the boy's gallantry as he said, "I don't own you in the sense that I consider you property but I am responsible for you."

"Tell him, Jareth. Tell him what he is to you. He has a right to know," said Sarah.

"What do you mean, what I am to him," Toby asked, becoming more agitated by the moment.

"Sit down, please, Toby," said Jareth gesturing towards the empty chair.

Toby didn't know why but he did feel compelled to listen to the Goblin King and found himself sitting in the chair without even a hint of protest.

"Okay, I'm sitting. Now tell me what I am to you."

"You already know the answer. You have always known. It is the reason you can see the fae even through a glamour and the reason this place and that park," he said, nodding towards the window, "feel like home to you. Look inside yourself. Tell me, who am I to you?"

Toby looked at the Goblin King and he didn't have to dig too deep to realize that the answer was staring him in the face.

"Father," he queried.

Jareth beamed. His long wait was over. He had his son and his bride-to-be within his grasp. He wouldn't let them go. Not this time.

"Yes, my son. How do you feel about that?"

"I don't know. I haven't had too much luck in the parent department, if you know what I mean. Sarah's the closest thing to a mom I've got. It might be cool to have a dad, if you plan on sticking around. Hey, didn't you say last night you were a king?"

"I am King of the Goblins, ruler of the Underground."

"Does that make me a prince?"

"Indeed, it does. You are the sole heir to the Goblin Kingdom. Even should I have another child, the throne will someday be yours, when you're ready."

"Wow! When do I get to see this Underground place?"

"That, I'm afraid, is entirely up to your sister. I wouldn't dare take you away from her again and once you return, with the exception of this Waypoint, and other safe-havens for the fae, it will not be safe for you to remain here in the Above for any length of time. Therefore, your sister must be ready to come home before I can bring you home."

**A/N: So, I'm working on being more descriptive. I've always been great at dialogue and not so much at painting a picture for the reader. How did I do? I promise, more is coming soon I just ran out of time to write for today and I figured I should post what I have.**


	5. The Game Was Rigged From The Start

**Chapter 5: The Game Was Rigged From The Start**

"That, I'm afraid, is entirely up to your sister. I wouldn't dare take you away from her again and once you return, with the exception of this Waypoint, and other safe-havens for the fey, it will not be safe for you to remain here in the Above for any length of time. Therefore, your sister must be ready to come home before I can bring you home."

Toby looked to Sarah expectantly as did Jareth and Annie all three curious what her answer would be.

Skirting the issue at hand, she said, "So…. This book…"

As she pulled at the corner of the cloth, Jareth reached out quick as a flash taking her hand in his and bringing it to his lips before returning it to her lap. She didn't miss the visible sigh of relief out of Annie that he had stopped her from touching the book.

"You mustn't touch that," he said, as he pulled the cloth away from the book.

"I take it you have kept this hidden away since your trip to the Underground, haven't you," he asked, as he opened the book and began leafing through the pages.

"Very clever, indeed," he mused.

"Well, yeah. I put it in the hope chest in my closet along with all the other things I had outgrown. How did you know?"

"This is no ordinary book. In fact, it is not a book at all," he said, waving a hand over the book to reveal its true form.

If it weren't for the brilliant silver glow coming off of it, it would look like an ordinary moss-covered piece of stone. A piece of stone Sarah recognized immediately.

"It is an extension of the Labyrinth, a piece of it, if you will," he confirmed.

"That burst of power emanating from it when you touched it in the diner, that was the Labyrinth sapping away some of the power from the wards I cast on you. If you had been reading it regularly as you used to as a girl, the wards would have long since deteriorated."

"What… but how… that's impossible," said Sarah.

"As I told you last night, the Labyrinth always gets what it wants, and, it would seem, that the Labyrinth took notice of you long before I ever did. I didn't even know it, but the game was rigged from the start. It has been with you all this time lying in wait. It wanted me to notice you but the question is, why?"

"Other than the wished away, the Labyrinth has never taken notice of a mortal before. There has to be a reason it has chosen you. I must get to the bottom of this," he said as he rose from his seat.

"Wait… where are you going," Sarah asked as she reached out and grabbed him by the wrist.

Although he didn't pull away, he said, "I must go. I need to consult with my scholars to see if there is anything written about such a thing. A prophecy, perhaps. I shall return as soon as I have some information."

"Just… hang on a second. Don't go yet," she said as she took his hand in both of hers.

Jareth waited patiently while Sarah stood contemplating what she should do. She knew he'd be back. He wouldn't leave her now but she didn't want him to go. Who knows how long he would be gone?

Whatever happened from this moment on, she already knew the Labyrinth had won whatever game it was playing and there was really no need to fight the inevitable. They would have to face this together. It was time to go home.

"Take us with you."

"Come, again," Jareth could not believe his ears.

She looked to Toby, who, at this point was bouncing up and down in his seat and to Annie, who was watching the whole scene unfold as though it were a soap opera and said, "I said, take us with you."

"You realize, this is it, there will be no turning back? Once it's done, it's done. You can't change your mind later and resume your life here," he cautioned.

"I can still see my family here, right," she asked waving her arms to signify she meant this place.

"Of course, you can. This is a Waypoint, after all. You're perfectly safe here," said Annie who was over the moon at the fact that her brother finally had the love of his life.

"And, I might even have a reason to visit the Underground now."

"That's funny. You were never willing to come to the Underground before," Jareth huffed.

"Well, I never had a sister before."

"Toby, what do you think," asked Sarah.

"I'm ready whenever you are."

"It's settled then. We're coming with you. We'll figure all this out together."

"Well, since we are all going, I guess we'll be taking the portal," he said.

Annie got up and walked them all out the door of her apartment. When they got to the door of the diner, Annie pulled both Sarah and Toby in for a hug and said, "Girl, I can't wait to help you plan the wedding. I'll see you real soon. And Jareth, I'll keep an ear out and see if I can find anything out. I'll keep you posted."

Jareth placed a hand on Sarah's back and took Toby by the hand as they made their way to the park across the way.

"I'll have the goblins retrieve your things from your house. And, I'll even do your dreadful parents a kindness and wipe their memories of you both. It will be as if you never existed here," he said as they walked towards their destination, stopping when they came to the base of a large weeping willow tree. Behind the tree, Sarah noticed a shimmer in the air, something hidden in plain sight.

"That," said Jareth, as he pointed to the space behind the tree, "Is the portal to the Underground."

Sarah gasped, "This is where I found the book."

"I thought you would say that," he replied.

"Are you ready for this," he asked giving them both one more chance to change their minds.

Toby charged forward and Jareth held out his arm to hold him back and said, "Not so fast, young man. We'll do this together."

Sarah took a deep breath and said, "As ready as I'll ever be."

Jareth then took his new family by the hand and all three stepped through the portal together.

**A/N: I know this one is a bit shorter than the others but this seemed like the right stopping point for this chapter.**


	6. Of All The Places In The Underground…

**Chapter 6: Of All The Places In The Underground…**

Jareth then took his new family by the hand and all three stepped through the portal together.

The moment their feet touched the ground on the other side of the portal, Jareth felt both his charges go slack in his hands as they fell unconscious causing him to scramble to catch them both easing himself to the ground with one on each side of his lap.

"Bog it all," he shouted as he took in his surroundings.

Jareth was sure the Labyrinth must be toying with him at this point because there he was, in the garden at the gate of the Labyrinth.

"Of all the places in the Underground, you had to drop us here. You couldn't have, I don't know, sent us to my throne room. You know I can't transport them in their volatile state," he yelled into the air.

"_Serves you right for letting my queen walk away," _replied a voice inside his mind.

He was flabbergasted because this was the first time she had spoken to him since the day she made him king. The Labyrinth had more subtle ways of expressing itself including but not limited to, lightning storms, blizzards, flash floods, dust storms, and the occasional tidal wave which appeared out of nowhere when she was feeling particularly irritated. Conversation was very rare, indeed.

"I had to. You know she wasn't ready."

"_I realize that, otherwise, I wouldn't have allowed it. Still, a little punishment might do you some good and help you remember your place."_

"Don't forget, I'm also the one who brought her back."

"_Not without my help. Who do you think has been sending her dreams to remind her where she belongs? It took you far too long. She should've been here by now."_

"What do you want with her, anyway? What is this all about?"

"_That, you will have to find out for yourself. I have done my part. It is time for you to do yours and that is all I have to say. Enjoy your trip back to the castle."_

"You don't have be such a…" he was interrupted as a bolt of lightning hit the ground directly in front of him leaving a gigantic scorch mark at his feet.

"_Remember your place._"

"What now," said Hoggle, as he made his way around the corner to see what the commotion was.

"You! What have you done now," he asked taking in the sight of the king with his two unconscious companions.

"A little help here, Hog-breath, if you please," Jareth replied.

Hoggle wanted nothing more than to run in the other direction at this point but he did as he was told. As he got closer, he realized just who the Goblin King's companions were, one of them, at least.

"Sarah," he squealed.

"Why? How? What is she doing here? What have you done to her? You… You… Why, I oughtta,"

"Relax, Hog-brain she'll be fine. All that magical energy has been suppressed for far too long. It's only natural that their bodies would need time to adjust to the changes," he replied.

"Magical energy? What does that mean?"

"Sarah and young Toby are mortal no longer. They are citizens of the Underground now."

"But…"

Jareth interrupted the dwarf before he could ask anymore questions, hoisted Toby onto his shoulders saying, "If you drop the boy, I will bog you."

Then, he gently lifted Sarah into his arms, rose to his feet, and said, "Come. It's a long walk back to the castle."

"What? I can't carry this kid all the way to the castle! Even with the shortcuts, it's miles from here," grumbled the dwarf, as he struggled to keep his balance with the child in his arms.

"Well… Don't you have a wheelbarrow around here somewhere," asked Jareth as he conjured up a blanket.

"It's right over there," he replied, reclining his head in the direction of the wheelbarrow.

"Hurry up and fetch it. I haven't got all day."

"Right," Hoggle groaned, the weight of the young boy causing him to stumble as he made his way to it.

Jareth emptied the contents of the wheelbarrow onto the ground and laid the blanket out before allowing Hoggle to place the boy inside it.

"All that work digging all that up and now I have to do it again," Hoggle groused.

"Keep talking and I'll give you something to complain about. How would you like to be the newly appointed gardener of the bog? I'm sure it could use some landscaping. Now, if you please Higthorn, I'd like to get home some time this evening," he said, as he motioned for the dwarf to start pushing the wheelbarrow.

Hoggle tried to make conversation as they trekked their way through the hidden passages of the Labyrinth that would make for the quickest route to the castle but had been silenced by the king's deathly glares every time he opened his mouth. Upon finally entering the Goblin City, the dwarf breathed a sigh of relief that his journey was almost over.

"Geez, what do they feed this kid," Hoggle huffed, breaking the silence between himself and the king, who seemed not the least bit tired while Hoggle was winded and exhausted, as he trudged his way to the castle gate with his heavy load.

"Sebastian," Jareth called as he entered the main hall.

Quicker than one could blink an eye, Jareth's tall, dark-haired butler appeared before him.

"You called, your highness," said Sebastian as he eyed his king with the young woman in his arms and the dwarf with the boy inside the filthy wheelbarrow that had left muddy tracks behind it as it entered. Anything to make his job more difficult, it would seem.

"Please, carry young Toby up to his bedroom. I will be along shortly to check on him," he said as he turned towards Hoggle.

"As you wish, sir," his butler replied as he picked up the boy and made his way up the grand spiral staircase that led to the sleeping chambers.

"I appreciate your assistance, Hogwart. You may leave now. And, take that wheelbarrow with you," he said as he turned and began ascending the stairs to Sarah's bedroom.

Drawing on strength he didn't even know he had, Hoggle followed the king up the stairs.

When they had reached their destination and Jareth had tucked Sarah into the rather large bed he'd placed her in, he said, "Now, wait just one minute! I'm not goin' anywhere until I know Sarah's okay. And, I'd like some answers too, while I'm at it."

"Excuse me," yelled the king as he whirled around to face the now trembling dwarf who was valiantly standing his ground despite his fear.

"I said, I ain't leavin' 'til she wakes up and I'd like to know what's goin' on."

"Since when did you get a backbone," asked the king, who was mildly impressed by the dwarf's actions.

Before he could reply, the butler popped his head into the room. "Excuse me, sir. I just wanted to inform you that the boy is resting comfortably. Will you be needing anything else for the time being?"

"No, no, that is all Sebastian. Thank you. You may return to your duties," he said, as he waved his hand in dismissal.

"And, Sebastian, please do make sure the goblins clean up the throne room and chase out the riff-raff. I don't think my fiancé would like it very much if there were goblins and livestock running amuck in her new home," he called, as Sebastian turned to leave.

"As you wish, sir," he replied, as he left the room.

"Now, Hogfoot, you were about to tell me where your backbone came from," queried the king.

"You'd be surprised what that girl inspires you to do," Hoggle replied.

"Indeed. Well, take a seat then. It's going to be quite a while before she wakes, I am certain."

**I totally didn't intend for it to happen, but somehow, one hell of a butler has invaded my story. I hope you guys don't mind. This might be his only appearance, I haven't decided yet but I am totally not going to go cross-over crazy with it and Jareth definitely didn't make any deals with the guy. **


End file.
